Alarm systems are used by consumer and industrial users to provide improved safety and security of residences and industrial facilities. These alarm systems typically include an alarm panel which receives and monitors signals from a host of peripheral devices, including keypads, various sensors and warning devices. The control panels, upon receiving notice of an alarm condition typically report to a remote central station over a telephone line or other communication path.
Alarm systems can be divided into hard wire systems where the alarm panel is hard wired to the various peripheral devices such as smoke detectors, motion detectors, etc., or a wireless system where these devices communicate with the alarm panel using RF transmissions, for example. In wireless systems, each of the peripheral devices have their own battery power source and the number and type of transmissions are managed to conserve power while providing positive communication. There are also alarm systems which use a combination of hard wired and RF peripheral devices.
Each alarm system typically has a number of sensors which report to the alarm panel. Updating of systems or extending of the systems can include the addition of more current sensors and/or the replacement of certain sensors with more current sensors. It is also possible to update or replace the alarm panel, however, in many cases, this is not practical from a cost standpoint as the entire alarm system is typically replaced.
Certain detectors tend to require more service than others. In particular, smoke detectors do deteriorate with age and also can have widely changing performance characteristics with the particular environment. Dust accumulation within the sensing chamber of the smoke detector can seriously affect the performance characteristics of the detector. Many smoke detectors include their own performance monitoring function to provide an early indication of deterioration. This early warning avoids false alarms which are expensive and also reduce the reliability of the system. Unfortunately, the performance monitoring of the smoke detectors includes data which is not reported to the alarm control panel as at the time of manufacture of the alarm control panel, this type of data may not have been available or that the detectors did not report this type of data to the alarm control panel. This situation is compounded in that new detectors which may be added to a system cannot report this information to an old style alarm panel and it is difficult to justify replacement of the alarm control panel.
In addition, although the reporting of the performance characteristics of smoke detectors is important in an alarm system, there are many motion sensors, sound sensors, etc. which continue to operate in a satisfactory manner and do not require the type of service or monitoring associated with smoke detectors.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,691,699 discloses a security detector which allows for data output by pulsing of a light emitting diode. The separate outputting of performance data of a smoke detector allows this data to be received and analyzed, however, a substantial cost of the detector has increased.
It is known to service an alarm system by testing of the various devices including smoke detectors and to also gather information from these detectors as part of this service step. Certain smoke detectors include their own output port which can be physically connected to a portable device for downloading information to the portable device when the smoke detector is appropriately activated by the user. It is also know to produce smoke detectors which have their own wireless receiving arrangement for communication with a portable device such as a flashlight. One such arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,244. In this case, a smoke detector includes its own light sensor which acts as a receiver and allows for activation of the device in a test mode or to alter the alarm signal thereof.
The industry has recognized the value of monitoring the performance characteristics of smoke detectors, and the value of transmitting the assessment of the performance of the smoke detector to an alarm control panel, or to a portable device, however, another driving force in the industry is a system which is inexpensive to manufacture and maintain. The additional cost for providing a smoke detector with its own RF transmitter and/or other data output device, does improve the monitoring function of the device, however, there is a substantial cost penalty which renders the system less competitive.
Furthermore, it can be appreciated that such an arrangement is more convenient for wireless smoke detectors, yet there are many systems which include both wired and wireless smoke detectors. Monitoring of only some of the smoke detectors is not a complete solution.
In order to reduce false alarms and to provide preventative maintenance, service contractors test alarm systems on a regular basis. It would be desirable to provide a check on the preventative maintenance carried out and a record of the results for longer term trends.
There remains a need for a simple cost effective solution for monitoring and evaluating the performance of smoke detectors.